CFE Transmisión: A Cleaner, Smarter Future

Francisco Estrada, Protections, Communications and Control Coordinator at CFE Tansmisión, discussed the future objectives of the company during the Mexico Energy Forum 2018 at Mexico City’s Hotel Sheraton Maria Isabel on Wednesday, saying that creating a level playing field would play a central role.

Worldwide, the objective of transmission companies is to transmit electricity in a safe and trustworthy manner, and the same applies to CFE Transmisión, Estrada said.  “Beyond that goal, CFE Trasmisión must ensure that energy generated by both conventional and renewable sources is transmitted with equal rights.” To achieve these goals, CFE Transmisión has been tasked with the operation, maintenance and measurement of the Mexican electricity network, extending and modernizing it and to provide the transmission tariffs.

As of 2017, CFE Transmisión managed 507 substations, over 107,042km of transmission lines and 85,017MVA of transformation capacity. By 2021, these numbers must increase by six substations, 6,602kms and 39,145MVA to improve the country’s ability to transmit clean energy. To properly manage all those assets, Estrada stressed the importance of having a strong network that can manage the gathering, transmission and processing of information. In this regard, CFE Transmisión manages over 43,803km of fiber optic lines.

Looking to the future, Estrada said CFE Transmisión will develop three cornerstone projects. The first two are HVDC lines connecting Morelos with Oaxaca and the National Interconnected System (SIN) with Baja California Sur, which “are vital to increase the share of clean energy generation in the country.” The third is the creation of a smart electricity grid (REI). “Due to the technical and managerial difficulties of implementing such a project in an already functioning grid, the project will take three years to be completed.”

While heading toward big technological objectives such as integrating clean energies into the national transmission network (RNT) and expanding and modernizing the electricity network, Estrada admitted that CFE Transmisión still has cultural challenges to face. “We must strengthen its organizational structure, increase productivity and efficiency in new processes, and create strategic alliances with third parties,” he said.